Cinema of Meaning is a conversational podcast that seeks to explore the depths of what cinema has to offer. Each week, we discuss an individual film to get a better understanding of its storytelling qualities, to examine its cinematic techniques, and to uncover its deeper meanings. Hosted by video essayists Tom van der Linden from the channel Like Stories of Old and Thomas Flight.
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Dune: Part 2 | Full Discussion and Analysis
1:14:53
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Check out our video essay channels on YouTube: Thomas Flight: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThomasFlight Like Stories of Old: https://youtube.com/c/LikeStoriesofOld Or on Nebula: Thomas Flight: https://nebula.app/thomasflight Like Stories of Old: https://nebula.app/lsoo Follow us: Tom van der Linden https://twitter.com/Tom_LSOO Thomas Flight https://tw…
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Welcome back to our series on Gangster Cinema through the decades, in which we discuss 5 different gangster movies from 5 different decades in order to get a better understanding of the deeper meanings and evolution of the genre; concluding today in the 2010s with Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/c…
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American Gangster | Gangster Cinema #4
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Welcome back to our series on Gangster Cinema through the decades, in which we discuss 5 different gangster movies from 5 different decades in order to get a better understanding of the deeper meanings and evolution of the genre; continuing today in the 2000s with Ridley Scott's American Gangster. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com…
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Welcome back to our series on Gangster Cinema through the decades, in which we discuss 5 different gangster movies from 5 different decades in order to get a better understanding of the deeper meanings and evolution of the genre; continuing today in the 1990s with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/cin…
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In Part 2 of the Gangster Series we move from the sobering 70s into the neon-lit 80s and follow Al Pacino into yet another iconic gangster movie: Brian DePalma's Scarface. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaofmeaning Check us out on YouTube: Thomas Flight: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThomasFlight Like Stories of Old: https://yo…
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We are excited to announce our new series on Gangster Cinema through the decades. Over the course of 5 episodes, we will discuss 5 different gangster movies from 5 different decades, in order to get a better understanding of the deeper meanings and evolution of the genre; starting in the 1970s with Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. Join our Dis…
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The Oppenheimer Discussion | Cinema of Nuclear Dread #3
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In this special 3-part series titled Cinema of Nuclear Dread, we explore cinema’s relation to the atomic bomb, and all the implications it represents, concluding today with an in-depth discussion of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaofmeaning Check us out on YouTube: Thomas Flight: https://ww…
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Godzilla's Evolving Nuclear Subtext (1954 to 2014) | Cinema of Nuclear Dread #2
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In this special 3-part series titled Cinema of Nuclear Dread, which we are hosting in honor of the release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, we explore cinema’s relation to the atomic bomb, and all the implications it represents. Continuing today with how the fear of and trauma from the nuclear bomb gave birth to the complicated and continuously …
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Dr. Strangelove or: How the Bomb Became Relevant Again | Cinema of Nuclear Dread #1
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In this special 3-part series titled Cinema of Nuclear Dread, which we are hosting in honor of the upcoming release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, we explore cinema’s relation to the atomic bomb, and all the implications it represents. Beginning today with the politics of the atomic bomb and the complicated philosophy of nuclear deterrence, in…
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Ep. 69: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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Before Indiana Jones' final adventure, we revisit his previous final adventure and discuss the early wave of legacy sequels, the conflicted enjoyment found in treasure-hunting movies, and the evolution of the adventure genre, in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Check us out on YouTube: Thomas Flight: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThomasFlight Like Stor…
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We discuss facing the fear of existence, the often overlooked quality of language, and our relation to time, in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week early, and with additional bonus episodes: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using ou…
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We discuss the nobility of servitude, the loss of collective identity, and Wes Anderson’s unique storytelling, in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week early, and with additional bonus episodes: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using ou…
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Ep. 66: Beau is Afraid, and Weirdly Absurd
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We discuss the surprisingly fun absurdism of Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid, and dive into its deeper themes of anxiety, childhood, and parental relations. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast compl…
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We discuss filmmaking that feels timeless, the enigma of Daniel Plainview’s character, and the erosion of religion and social dynamics in the wake of rising capitalism, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week early, and with addit…
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Ep. 64: The Killing of a Sacred Deer
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We try to untangle the absurdist storytelling of Yorgos Lanthimos, the real meaning of justice, and the deeper metaphorical layers of his 2017 film The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week early, and with additional bonus episodes: https://nebula.t…
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This episode is sponsored by NordVPN, get started today at: https://nordvpn.com/cinemaofmeaning We discuss the solemn new direction of the Western mythos, the unhealed wounds in US history, and dealing with grief, in Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River. Join our Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaofmeaning Check us out on YouTube: Thomas Fli…
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Ep. 62: The Social Network and the Myths of Silicon Valley
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We revisit David Fincher’s billionaire origin story The Social Network, discuss whether or not its romanticizing Zuckerberg’s rise to success, and how its surrounding myths about Silicon Valley, technological progress, and genius entrepreneurs have evolved since the movie’s release. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free t…
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Ep. 61: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
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Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the marvelization of storytelling, the qualities of a perfect B movie, and the successes and shortcomings of translating one of the most influential gaming concepts to cinema, in John Francis Daley and Jonat…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss one of the most enigmatic films of the 21st century: Lee Chang-dong’s Burning. A complex tale of morality, Freudian dynamics, and socio-political conflicts. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Join our Discord community: https://www.p…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss capturing the sublime grandeur of the cosmos, how different philosophies can lead to the same virtues and vices, and the relation between existentialism and the sun, in Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss how stories evolve throughout franchises, how a formula can stay fresh across decades and the cost of fame in Matt Bettinelli and OlpinTyler Gillett's Scream 6. This episode is sponsored by NordVPN, get started today at: https://nordvpn.com/cinemaofmeaning Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned…
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With new A.I. technologies on the rise, Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden revisit Spike Jonze’s Her to discuss the extent of its prescience, the effects of technological progress on human culture, and the true nature of consciousness. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week…
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Get started with NordVPN: https://nordvpn.com/cinemaofmeaning Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss how movies can go from being dismissed to being hailed as masterpieces, the dynamics of (dis)trust, and the non-existence of the soul, in John Carpenter’s The Thing. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our…
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Ep. 55: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the mythologization of outlaws and the American West, and the slow and painful road of disillusionment, in Andrew Dominic’s melancholic western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-f…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the reality of eating disorders, the conflict between intent and outcome, and the effects of trauma on ourselves and our relations, in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a week early, and with additional …
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden revisit Martin Scorsese’s psychological thriller Shutter Island, discuss how rewarding it is on rewatch knowing the story’s full context, break down the many layers of its moral conflict, and pick apart all the little details we missed the first time around. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platf…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss competing philosophies about the line between humanity and nature, the inevitability of subjectivity in documentary filmmaking, and the search for ecstatic truth, in Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man. Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebula to enjoy our podcast completely ad-free, a we…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the mysterious origins of passion, the struggle between responsibility and freedom, and coming to terms with one’s past, in Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical tale The Fabelmans. Get started with NordVPN: https://nordvpn.com/cinemaofmeaning Listen to Cinema of Meaning on our creator-owned platform Nebul…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the intricate and tragic downfall of a flawed character, the tension between art and artist, and constructing a grounded nightmare wherein nothing is quite what it seems, in Todd Field’s Tár. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Get ad…
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Get started with NordVPN: https://nordvpn.com/cinemaofmeaning Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the implications of confronting one’s mortality, the existential purpose of kindness, and how even the tiniest, most remote places can still form a stage for grand human drama, in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. Listen to Cinema o…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden explore cinema as memory, and discuss the complex emotions that arise when trying to put together the fragmented pieces of one’s past, in Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun. Aftersun is available exclusively on MUBI in select countries, including UK, Italy, and Latin America. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 3…
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Ep. 47 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
1:06:26
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; and examine its puzzling structure, its controversial ending, and what it has to say about billionaires and other questionable cultural figures. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofm…
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Ep. 46: Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the Sight and Sound #1 movie of all time; the groundbreaking and voyeuristic portrait of a lonely woman trapped in a monotonous life of routine: Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the conflicted relation to art; the value and harm of critics, and the importance of passion, in Mark Mylod’s The Menu. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using our link supports the podcast). Become part of the…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the deconstruction of individualism, the tension between dreams and responsibility, and the timeless legacy of Frank Capra’s surprisingly prescient classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Get ad-free episode…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the anatomy of great adventure stories, humanity’s strange relation to nature, and the power of emotional storytelling, in James Cameron’s Avatar. Listen to the bonus episode about Avatar: The Way Of Water on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using our link supports the podcast). Beco…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the complex dynamics between money, gender and class, the art of satire, and the question of what really happens when a social hierarchy collapses, in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning …
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Can you tell a monster? Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the meticulous craft of the murder mystery story, the consequences of police brutality, and the aesthetics of evil, in Bong Joon Ho’s Memories of Murder. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30-day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Get ad-free episodes…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the implications of Wakanda entering the world stage and upsetting the global status quo, Marvel’s reluctance to really dig into revolutionary and post-colonial politics, and the struggle to continue the Black Panther story after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wa…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the harm that happens when principles turn into empty facades, how they nevertheless can become entrenched in existing power dynamics, and to what extent individuals can stand up to them, in Masaki Kobayashi’s Harakiri. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mub…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the gender dynamics of stranger danger, social commentary in horror movies, and the nature of predatory men, in Zach Cregger’s Barbarian. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using our link supports the podcast). …
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss questions of fate and evil in the Coen Brothers’ surprisingly existentialist western No Country for Old Men. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning - Watch Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin, now on MUBI in the US. Get ad-free ep…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss grief, relationship struggles, and the differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures, in Ari Aster’s Midsommar. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using our link supports the podcast). Become par…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the beauty of low-budget, independent filmmaking, the intricacies of time travel, and how to navigate and appreciate challenging films, in Shane Carruth’s Primer. Start exploring the riches of cinema with a 30 day extended free trial of MUBI at mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning - Watch Shane Carruth's second film…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss different notions of heroic masculinity, the conflicting excitement of stylized violence, and enjoying movies with ideas you don’t agree with, in Zack Snyder’s 300. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (Signing up using our l…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the fever dream that is Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, and examine how it created such a distinctive atmosphere, how it used a passive protagonist to offer a unique perspective, and how it invoked absurdity to navigate complicated issues of war and evil. Start exploring the riches of cinema with …
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the 1942 classic Casablanca and examine both its specific meanings as a war story coming out in wartime, as well as its general meanings as a timeless story of heartbreak, apathy and reengagement. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemao…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the ever expanding cosmology of the Alien series, the struggle for existential answers, and the savage act of creation, in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Start exploring the riches of cinema with an extended free trial of MUBI: mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Watch Thomas' recommendation TAMING THE GARDEN, now show…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss the power of perspective in storytelling, the real meaning of faith, and the lost art of setups and payoffs, in M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs. Start exploring the riches of cinema with an extended free trial of MUBI: mubi.com/cinemaofmeaning Watch Thomas' recommendation TAMING THE GARDEN, now showing almost…
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Thomas Flight and Tom van der Linden discuss humanity’s complicated relation to spectacle and horror, how we cope with trauma, and how to tell a layered story that allows for multiple different perspectives, in Jordan Peele’s Nope. Get ad-free episodes a week early and access to a monthly bonus episode on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning (…
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